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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30109356">The Magic Words</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EastSunRise/pseuds/EastSunRise'>EastSunRise</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>104th is a year below Harry, Ackermans are Vampires, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Magic, Eren Yeager is a Little Shit, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Hijinks &amp; Shenanigans of the Snk cast all happen all while Harry Potter suffers in the background, Humor, I spent way too much time on Harry Potter Wiki for this to flop, Jaeger family moments, Levi is a year above Harry, M/M, Multi, Rating May Change, Set during Harry Potter's time, eren is chaotic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 00:13:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,140</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30109356</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EastSunRise/pseuds/EastSunRise</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Follow Levi and Eren along as they live in the shadows of the Boy-Who-Lived. It's hard enough trying to survive the halls of Hogwarts without dying every year as Voldemort tries, and spectactularly fails, to kill Potter. Being a bloodsucker and possessing and obscurus only adds on to their trials. Add in lunatic friends, mid night strolls through the Forbidden Forest (on full moons, per Hange's request), pranks and food theft (curtesy of Connie and Sasha), awful DADA teachers, detention with Filch, and teenage romance, these boys have more than enough on their plate. </p><p>Unfortanetly, Eren has the instincs and self-preservation skills of a dog chasing after a stick and Levi just had to go and get attached to this boy with ocean eyes. </p><p>"Say the magic words."<br/>"Fuck you."<br/>"I meant 'thank you', but that works, I guess."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Levi Ackerman/Eren Yeager</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Viola!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/9411983">Harry Potter and the Epic Tale of the Uninvolved</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/chenziee/pseuds/chenziee">chenziee</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Viola: French for "here it is". A common phrase used by magicians after completing a magic trick.<br/>*<br/>Aaaaaah, I've been wanting to write a Hp fanfic surrounding Eren and Levi after I read "Harry Potter and the Epic Tale of the Uninvolved" by chenzie. </p><p>I hope you all like this! I enjoyed writing this so much as young, grumpy Levi is one of my favorite things, especially since it comes so easily to me. Enjoy! And comment and let me know your thoughts!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">(Year of 1990, Harry Potter is but a ten year old lad living with the detestable Dursleys. Voldemort is probably off somewhere trying to seduce someone with an attractive back head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>It’s the first of September, and here Levi stands, at a crowded train station, wishing he had told the old man to go fuck himself when he had given him that damned letter. Here he is, amongst the bustling people, mothers ushering their children along, fathers carrying the luggage, businessmen in black suits staring at their wrist watches, sighing aggrievedly every time they look up, other commuters waiting patiently as was their routine. There were the occasional tourists that went around, asking for directions and reading the printed maps. And there Levi Ackerman stands, right in front of a brick wall.</p><p>The bearded man had said the train would be at King’s Cross platform nine and three-fourths, and the entrance to it was a fucking brick wall. Levi felt his left eye twitch in irritation, and heaves a long-suffering sighing, somewhat grateful that Isabel wasn’t there as he did not have the time for her whining, but also wishing for Farlan since the other boy had enough sense to probably figure this shit out. Alas, neither of his fellow orphans were there, as neither had gotten a letter. Apparently, they were too young, as only wizards and witches (Levi didn’t understand why the terms were gendered, fucking weird traditionalism he supposes) ages eleven and above can go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.</p><p>Levi eyes the brick wall, wondering if this was some magic crap. Maybe it was an illusion, a trick of the light, something to trick his brain into thinking it was a simple shit of bricks when really it was the gateway to the magical world? “This fucking sucks balls,” he murmurs to himself, tightening his hold on his trolley as a family of three walked by him. “Stupid, shite man and his stupid, shite directions.”</p><p>He reaches into his coat pocket, the old thing a little snug now, and pulls out a neatly folded piece of parchment. He lifts his shoulders up past his ears, and lowered the paper, reading. It says,</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> <strong>Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry</strong> </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <em>Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(Order of Merlin, First class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Mister Levi Ackerman</em>
</p><p>
  <em>2nd bedroom, 3rd floor, Sina Orphanage</em>
</p><p>
  <em>xxxx</em>
</p><p>
  <em>London, England</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Dear Mr. Potter,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>          We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>          Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Yours sincerely,</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Minerva McGonagall,</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Deputy Headmistress</strong>
</p><p>(And below all that introductory bullshit, was a little note that Levi had made the bearded bastard himself right.)</p><p>
  <em>Note: To enter Platform 9 3/4s, please just walk through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>When Levi had first read it, Isabel and Farlan gawking over his shoulder, he had only stared at the supposed headmaster impassively. “Is this a joke? You want me to walk through a wall? Seriously?”</p><p>The old goon had only smiled, eyes wrinkling behind those hipster-looking half-mooned glasses. “Yes, very seriously, Mister Ackerman. But if you’re feeling nervous, I’d say it’s best to have a running start.” He’d said it like a joke, and it had only infuriated Levi more because he couldn’t tell if the old ass was being actually serious or not.</p><p>Levi scoffs at the memory, rereading the paper one more, from top to bottom, before folding it once more and putting it away. Stupid geezer, he thinks to himself. Levi looks right, then left, checking to see if anyone was watching. Thankfully, Levi thinks bitterly, no one gave the time of day to a little boy in an old coat and grey cap.</p><p>Breathing in once, Levi settles his gaze upon the barrier. With a cool exhale, he begins to run, pushing the trolley holding his belongings - what little there were - in front of him. The barrier becomes closer, closer, and closer, and Levi can only squeeze his eyes shot, cursing the headmaster and his stupid jokes.</p><p>He gasps, feeling something cool and strange and different, something he’s only ever felt when he accidentally made a flowerpot explode in anger with nothing but his mind, wash over him. It tickles his arms, brushes his face, and wraps around his legs. Levi opens his eyes, chest heaving, and stares at the world before him.</p><p>There he stands on Platform nine and three-fourths.</p><p>Levi feels his heartbeat slow, eyes fluttering about. Young children in normal trousers, skirts, and blouses storm about, chasing after hooting owls, motherfucking owls, while older ones in dark robes stroll around, lugging behind him their luggage, all the while greeting friends and kissing their parents goodbye. There are adults weeping as their eleven-year-olds tug at their grips, whining to be let go of. There are owls, and cats, and frogs, and rats, gross, stuck in cages. And most beautiful of all, is the train.</p><p>Levi can only stare, losing his breath once more. It is one of the most magnificent things he’s ever seen - he learned the word magnificent from a dictionary Furlan had once read to Isabel as a bedtime story; it was a very boring story of big words and long definitions, so Isabel fell asleep quite quickly. Bright, ruby red, the colour of a shining apple, just beginning to be bit into. The metal is smooth and clear, and you can find your own reflection in it. There is steam flying above it, like a cloud. Kids, bigger and taller than Levi mostly, run through it, some waving through the windows at their families. Levi has never seen a train like this before.</p><p>He takes a step forward, clasping the folded letter in his pocket and-</p><p>Is ultimately pushed aside by a heavy weight. “Oof!”</p><p>“Uh-oh! Sorry! I just got these new prescription glasses yesterday and I’m still trying to get used to them.”</p><p>Levi scowls, pushing himself up from the disgusting floor where who knows what was dropped on. He glares up at a small figure in front him, dark brown hair pulled up in a messy ponytail and thick rimmed glasses on their face. There’s also a pair of square goggles resting around their neck. Levi reckons that they're not that much older than him, but he can't really tell from just their jeans and sweater. The nervously smiling face stares down at him, a hand reached out.</p><p>They chuckle nervously, “My uncle says I’m as blind as a bat. Not that he can talk much, he drinks so much he can barely walk upright most days.”</p><p>The hand is still reaching out and Levi can only stare at it. He pushes it aside after another second and picks himself up, wiping away dust. (He can’t see any dust, but he knows it's there, and he’s already thinking of changing once he’s aboard.) The person only chuckles again, and he glares even harsher. They raise their hands in a placating gesture.</p><p>“Sorry, really sorry! I promise it was just an accident!”</p><p>Levi scoffs, “Whatever, just watch where you’re going next time, you shitty four eyes.” Not the most creative thing Levi’s ever come up with but he’s too irritated to care.</p><p>“Eh?! But I said I was sorry!” They cried out, but Levi ignored them, pushing his trolly forward towards the train. They whine and cry out but he doesn't turn back. He didn’t need to get sidetracked by idiots like them, otherwise he might just end up missing the train. And he’s not ready to deal with Furlan and Isabel’s whining if he returns without having even stepped foot at Hogwarts.</p><p>About thirty minutes later, Levi is trying to find a way to stuff his luggage in the overhead compartment. He’s too short to do so and there’s no one else in the compartment with him, the reason he had chosen it in the first place was because it was empty though. He also didn’t want help, nothing good came out of asking others for their help. Kenny thought him real good about that. Then the bastard just upped and left him. Levi grits his teeth, pushing the thought away. He stands on the cushion and hauls his luggage up, his muscles not even staining one bit.</p><p>He lets out a sigh and slumps down, avoiding the spot his shoes had stepped on. A horn echoes throughout the platform. Families begin to scurry around as students gather onto the train before the doors shut. Right in front of his window, there is a family of five, a couple, two young children, probably around Isabel’s age, and a blond teenager. The teenage boy is waving goodbye to his teary-eyed mother as he steps onto the train, “I’ll promise to write as much as I can, Mum!”</p><p>His mother smiles, her brown hair bellowing in the wind, and blows a kiss at him, “You better! Make sure to eat a lot, don’t get so caught up in your studies that you forget to take care of yourself, Zeke!” Her accent is a little different from the usual, posh London one Levi has grown up around. He wonders idly where he’s from. Then his thoughts wander to his own mother, imagining what it’d look like if she was the one standing there, blowing kisses to him, to Levi, and wishing for him to take care of himself. If that man, standing there with his arm wrapped around his wife, was instead his father, whoever he was, or his uncle, if his uncle was a nice man and not a cruel bloodsucker. If those two kids were Isabel and Farlan. If he had a family to wish him goodbye and see him off for his journey to Hogwarts.</p><p>“BYE, ZEKE!” Yells one of the younger kids, a boy who is frantically waving his arm in the air, a big smile on his face. The girl next to him waves as well, much calmer, a hand fiddling with her red scarf. </p><p>Levi sharply turns away from the window and begins to fiddle with his wand. He itches to pull out his knife, the one his uncle had handed him and told him to use, but he can’t do that unless he wants to get expelled before even stepping foot into the school grounds. So, he settles for his wand, made from the wood of a Yew tree.</p><p>He hears the “chugga- chugga” of the train as the wheels start to turn and the train is pulled into motion. He wonders if the train is pulled with magic or just regular science. Maybe both. His stomach curls into itself when he feels the first lurch the train gives as it begins to move. Levi steels himself for a long ride and settles himself next to the window, staring out of it once more.</p><p>Then something, or rather someone, catches his eye. The boy, the brother of the teenager earlier, is walking alongside the train as it moves away from the platform. He’s walking a little way out in front of Levi’s window, watching the train. Levi can’t help but stare, almost in a trance, as the boy begins to speed up, now almost running alongside the train.</p><p>“EREN!” A woman’s voice calls out, voice almost lost in the sound of the train, but both Levi and the boy hear it. The boy, Eren, Levi thinks, looks back at the voice but doesn’t stop. He yells something back, “Just a second, Mum!” Then turns his back around and makes full on eye contact through the glass.</p><p>His eyes are green, then blue, then a spark of gold flashes through them, and wow, Levi thinks. Those are some pretty eyes. Not that he’ll ever say that out loud. They remind him of a documentary he once saw, one about the ocean, and how there was a wide shot of the ocean, glistening in the sun light. Levi stares at him, refusing to look away for some reason. The boy is full on running now, chasing the train, eyes still on his own.</p><p>The boy’s eyes are wide, and there’s this look on his face. Maybe it’s awe, maybe it’s shock, maybe it’s curiosity, but he continues to stare, and he doesn’t back off. They were intense, his eyes. Levi’s cheeks begin to feel kind of warm, his breath speeds up, and the curl in his stomach intensifies and-</p><p>-and the train has fully left the platform, leaving the boy behind. He soon grows smaller and smaller, until he’s nothing more than a dot in the background.</p><p>Levi continues to stare out the window, not sure what had just happened.</p><p>The door to the compartment slams open and laughter spills in. In step two boys, both obviously older than Levi if the green snake insignia on their robes are any indication. The symbol for the house of the snake, Slytherin. Furlan had made Levi share his new magical books with him and Isabel, and he had threatened them with the cruelest of punishments if even one page was wrinkled. Their favorite had been Hogwarts: A History, and the three of them had curled up on Farlan’s bed - Levi refused to let them on his and Isabel’s was too messy for his liking - and read through it all. In the book, the history of the four houses and the sorting had been explained.</p><p>Slytherin, the house of the ambitious and cunning. Isabel had said they sounded cool, but Farlan thought they may be kind of uptight. Levi is about to find out with the firsthand experience.</p><p>“Hello,” a boy with large eyebrows - they remind Levi of those little caterpillars Isabel had once shown him at the park - greets with a friendly smile. Levi doesn’t trust him already.</p><p>“My name is Erwin Smith. This is Nile Dok,” the darker haired companion nods at him.</p><p>There’s a beat of silence as the two wait for him to speak. He only looks at them impassively, arms crossed.</p><p>“Uh, can we sit here with you? I’m afraid all the other compartments are full.”</p><p>Nothing. Levi eyes them back and forth. Then, slowly he nods. Eyebrows gives him another friendly smile and Levi grimaces. The two sit across from him and start to talk to one another, almost ignoring him except for the occasional glance. And that’s perfectly fine with Levi, he actually prefers it this way. He grips his wand tightly in his hand and watches the world pass by. Then, the scruffy looking one - Levi has already forgotten their names, oops, - just has to go and open up his dumb mouth.</p><p>“Hey, you’re a first year, aren’t you?”</p><p>God dammit.</p><p>"Make sure to be nice and make some friends," Farlan had said to him in the morning, right before Levi had stepped on the bus. "I'm sure not everyone there will be too scummy." Levi had told him that scummy wasn't a real word and stepped on the bus, leaving Isabel and Farlan at the bus stop, just down the street from the orphanage. Now, he curses Farlan in his mind and sighs dejectedly. </p><p>"Yeah, what about it?" Okay, so being nice isn't something Levi is particularly good at. Whatever, he tried. Not really, but what Farlan doesn't know won't hurt him. (His uncle had said that once to him about soom goon they were conning, and Levi had taken it to heart at the young age of eight.)</p><p>Scuffy lets out a squawck, obviously taken back by Levi's rude tone. Eyebrows' eyebrows raise in shock then he starts to chuckle. "It's alright, Dok's not trying t be mean or anything. He's just a curious guy. He doesn't mean any harm."</p><p>Levi sniffs and inspects his wand. </p><p>Silence. </p><p>"What's your name?" Levi glares at Eyebrows. Doesn't he know when to shut up and just let peopel be?! </p><p>"Levi," he grits out. </p><p>"Oh, cool. Nice to officially meet you, Levi." He smiles that annoying, almost perfect smile again and Levi is about five seconds away from saying <em>fuck it</em> and and jumping him. Nice guys like him are the worst. </p><p>Scruffy continues to eye him, obviously not very taken with Levi. <em>Same to you</em>, Levi thinks, meeting his eye,</p><p>It's at this moment that Levi notices how polished the two are, from their combed hair to their ironed robes. Good boys, these two are. The perfect sons, students, and role models. Oh boy, Levi is sure gonna be in for a fun time this train ride. Levi wishes he had taken out his copy of <em>Hogwarts: A History, </em>yet sadly it was in his bag and he was not about to stand up and reach up for it. No need to let the two see his back, and more importantly, watch as he fails too short (Farlan would've appreciated at the pun, the bastard) at reaching it. So, Levi has to settle for just absent staring. </p><p>Just then, the door slides open again and there stands the one and only dumbass who had bumped against Levi on the platform, still in their regular clothing. They stand there, eyes moving from Eyebrows and Scruffy to him. Then their eyes widen comically behind their glasses and they point at him, "<em>Shortie!</em> Hey!"</p><p>Levi scowls, hoping that if it's fierce enough they may just run away. It doesn't work. They enter the compartment and have the gail to sit next to Levi, right on the spot where his shoes had left a mark - no, that doesn't bring joy to Levi, not at all. "Hello, I'm Hange Zoe! Pleasure to make your acquaintance!" They stick their hand out to Eyebrows and Scruffy. </p><p>"Hello," Eyebrows says, taking their hand. "I'm Erwin Smith." Oh, that's his name. Yeah, it may take a while for Levi to call him that instead of Eyebrows. </p><p>"Nile Dok," Scruffy introduces themselves, but does not take the offered hand. When they turn to Levi, he only glares at him.</p><p>"And you?"</p><p>"Levi. Now leave me alone." </p><p>"Okay, yeah, you're still mad about my tripping you. Listen, I really, really, really am so-" Levi is five seconds away from shoving his wand down their throat when the doors slide open, <em>again.</em> (He would have just used his teeth, but his second set of canines haven't come in yet, so it'll probably be to bloody, which Levi doesn't fancy getting all over him.)</p><p>"There you are Erwin, Nile!" And there he is, the teenage boy who's mother blew him kisses. (No, Levi isn't jealous.) "Mike! Nanaba! Found them!"  He calls into the hall before taking a step into the compartment. </p><p>Levi stares as two others step in behind him. The guy notices him staring and smiles. (God, why is everyone, except for Scruffy, always smiling? Are they okay? Do their cheeks not hurt?)</p><p>"Hello," he says. "I'm Zeke Yeager."</p><p>Levi's left eye gives a twitch.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Farlan Church</em>
</p><p>
  <em>2nd bedroom, 3rd floor, Sina Orphanage</em>
</p><p>
  <em>xxxx</em>
</p><p>
  <em>London, England</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dear Farlan (and Isabel but that's a given),</em>
</p><p><em>Hogwarts is alright. I got sorted into Slytherin (so fuck you, Farlan). The sorting happened through a talking hat, and it reads your mind. Kinda freaky and it weirded me out a lot but I got through it. It was originally going to put me into Gryffindor (rember the house you wanted, Isa?) I was going to, cause I heard the Slytherin dorm in the dungeon, under the lake! These peopel are fucking crazy, but I guess that's expected with magic. Then some assholes off an explosive of dungbombs (don't ask) in the compartment I was in and apparently they're a pair of gryffindor twins known for being pranksters. So I convinced the hat to get me into Slytherin instead. No way I was going to be stuck in a dorm with idiots who find the idea of setting off shitbags funny. The teachers are ok. Snape is an ass, and his hair is so oily! Even worse, he's Slytherin's head of house AND the potions teacher so I'm stuck with him forever. The rest of the teachers are also weird but not as bad as Snape. The students are snobby fuckers though. Especially slytherins and this dick named Nile. They all </em> <em>care a lot about blood (not like me) and how pure it is. Something about how if one of your parents is nonmagic or a muggle then youre worth less. Kinda stupid and makes no sense. I bet the blood doesn't even taste different. Oh and about my blood problem, dont worry the old bastard Dumbledore has got it figured out. He and the nurse lady give me a supply I can drink whenever I want, they even gave me a key. I keep it around my neck in case I ever need it and so I don't lose it. Ok yeah thats all. Isabel dont bother Farlan and Farlan keep Isabel safe. </em></p><p>
  <em>From,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Levi Ackerman</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(P.S. your allowed to feed the owl treats but you cant keep him. If you want to send a letter to me just write one and tie to the bird's leg. It will know what to do.)</em>
</p><p>***</p><p>It is thirty-first of October, Halloween, a very serious day in the Wizarding world, as Levi has come to learn in the last two months. Apparently, nine years ago exactly, a family known as the Potters was killed by a nose-less bitch named You-Know-Who. A stupid name, so Levi was going to start saying Voldemort just because it made everyone freak out whenever he did. Anyways, Voldemort was only defeated by a baby, the only son of the Potters, and Levi laughed, full on belly laughed, when he first heard of the story. Because, wow, the man everyone feared, and were too scared to even call by his own fucking name, was murdered by a baby. A creature that couldn't even talk properly and slubbered everywhere. Truly a fearful man. </p><p>"Hey, Levi! Over here!" Hange waves over from their seat at the Slytherin table during breakfast. Surprise, surprise the fucking weirdo had also gotten into Slytherin and now Levi must suffer with being in every class as them. </p><p>He sits next to them, nodding over at Erwin and scowling at Nile. (It took about a month, but Levi had finally gotten their names down to memory. Kind of a record for him.) Zeke, also a third year, is sat at the Ravenclaw table next to Nanaba, who's in second. Mike sits by himself at Hufflepuff and Levi will admit he would have never seen that coming. When he had asked Erwin how or why that had ever happened, Eyebrows had just smiled and said something about his nose making him a great finder. Levi took that as to never ask Erwin any questions ever again. Instead ask Zeke, who would great in explaining shit out of his ass. If he were really curious about something, he'd ask Nile, although that would just end in one of them mad and the other smug. Never, never, Levi has tragically come to learn, ask Hange <em>anything</em>. For one's own sanity, it's best not to let that trash can open its mouth too much. </p><p>Levi doesn't only socialize with people above his year though. For example, there's Petra and Olou from Hufflepuff, who won't leave him alone in Transfiguration, especially Oluo. Levi doesn't mind too much, but he's sure he's going to punch Oluo one of these days for his running mouth. There's even two Gryffindors (and wow, a Slytherin and a Gryffindor? You would think that was some kind of miracle at this school, but Levi didn't give any shits about all that bullshit). Erd and Gunther. Gunther's hair is kind of weird and Levi can't help but stare at it, which is how the two first got introduced in potions, where Gunther was forced to help Levi in a potion he'd fucked up. (Yeah, Levi's great at about every subject but Potions apparently.) Erd was a little harder to befriend but he came around in flying class when he and Levi raised and Levi complimented (See Farlan, Levi can be nice) him on his flying. He of course went on to outshine Erd in the next five minutes but the kid wasn't too upset about that, just amazed at Levi's skills. Madam Hooch had given Levi detention after a dangerous trick. Oh, there's also this guy named Moblit in Ravenclaw. Levi thinks he has a crush on Hange, what with the way he's constantly followering them around, but also he's also a nice guy. Not the douchbag kind of nice that Erwin can be, but the kind of nice Levi can just let be and even appreciate. </p><p>The Great Hall is filling up quickly today, students chattering excitedly. Levi ignores it all in favor of digging into his second cup of pudding. That is, until Albus fucking Dumbledore decides to open his fucking mouth. </p><p>"Now, I am aware that we all know what a crucial day today is." Murmurs fill the air before quieting down again. Levi watches, bored, as the white bearded man stands up at the head of the teacher's table. </p><p>"As you all know, today marks the ninth year the Wizarding world has spent without the cruel hauntings of Voldemort." A collective shudder runs through the cafeteria, some kids even whimper in fear. Dumbledore only smiles like a creep. "Nine years ago, this day, James and Lily Potter fought bravely against him, and sadly perished."</p><p>Nile groans, "He gives this damn speech every year. Merlin's balls!"</p><p>Erwin shushes him.</p><p>"Leaving behind, their, then one-year-old, son, Harry Potter." Cue the collective gasps and smiles as everyone thought of their baby savior. Levi rolls his eyes and stabs Hange's creeping hand with his fork. They yelp and rub at their now red hand. "And Harry Potter saved us all when he vanquished the so-called Dark Lord. Thanks to him, we are all here, celebrating another day. And now, we are one more year closer to having Mr. Potter step into this grand hall and join us as another student of Hogwarts." Cheers erupt. "Yes, I am also excited to see our chosen one, and watch him grow up in these halls along with the rest of you. But, for today, let us all enjoy and have ourselves a wonderful Halloween. Oh! And Professor McGonagall would like me to remind all students that the Forbidden Forest is, as the name states, <em>forbidden.</em>" At this the headmaster seems to eye the section of the hall where Hange sits. They duck their head and begin to cheerly immerse themselves with their bacon. "And students breaking any rules will be deducted house points and face detention with Mr. Filch." Nile and Erwin both shiver from memories.</p><p>The Headmaster then sits at his seat and breakfast resumes. </p><p>"I only went in <em>once," </em>Hange says, raising their arms. "Once! And now they think of me as some kind of vagabond who runs around wherever they want! The disrespect they put on my name is so-" they gesture around for a word. </p><p>"Disrespectful?" Erwin supplies.</p><p>"YES, DISRESPECTFUL! Can you believe this, Levi?" They nudge Levi with their elbow, who only nudges back harsher. </p><p>"Yes, I can," he growls. "You forced me to go with you, remember? If it wasn't for you, I would have never stepped foot into that dung field and would've never had to spend detention with Filch! <em>Filch! </em>I'd rather touch Snape's oily rat hair before I ever go through that again." He stabs at a piece of bacon and begins to thoroughly chew on it, and Hange cowers away in fear. For one fifteen seconds, then they jump back.</p><p>"Oh, come on, I said I was sorry!"</p><p>"Shut it, your voice is too annoying to be this loud in the morning. Or just this loud ever. Actually, just stop talking permanently."</p><p>Hange lets out a squawk. </p><p>“God, this is going to be the tripping incident all over again, isn’t it?”</p><p>“Shut up, Dok. Your voice is just as annoying.”</p><p>“Fuck you, Ackerman.”</p><p>“Nile, he’s eleven.”</p><p>“<em>And?</em>”</p><p>“Woah! You really going to get in a fight with a <em>child</em>, Dok? Real mature.”</p><p>“Don’t call me a child! We’re the same age, shit for eyes!”</p><p>“Ten points from Slytherin and detention with me this afternoon, Mr. Ackerman.”</p><p>A groan rings throughout the Great Hall and Professor McGonagall only huffs quietly as she passes by the particularly rowdy Slytherin table. She had just wanted a quiet breakfast today to mourn her favorite students, was that too much to ask?</p><p>***</p><p>“Tell us everything!” Farlan says, wrapping his arms around Levi, who was being choked out by Isabel in a crushing hug.</p><p>“And don’t leave out a <em>single</em> detail!” Isabel shouts excitedly. Levi only huffs and drags his luggage into Sina Orphanage.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. Just give me a bloody second.” It is Christmas break and Levi has returned home, or the closest thing he has to home really, to Isabel and Farlan. It’s going to be his birthday in a couple days, and soon Levi Ackerman will be twelve years old, something which he feels very smug about.</p><p>Once settled into the night, the three find themselves on Farlan’s bed, hiding under the blankets.</p><p>“Come on, spill!”</p><p>Levi and Farlan simultaneously shush the red head, but Farlan is just as eager as she is to learn more about Levi’s time at Hogwarts.</p><p>Levi sighs, knowing he can’t putt this off for much longer. He curses himself for being so vague in his letters, but that’s not really his fault, he just doesn’t know what to write besides the basic “I’m ok, everything’s good. Don’t worry.”</p><p>“What do you want to know?” he asks.</p><p>Isabel grins, eyes wide and so, so eager. “Everything. Oh, oh! Tell me about the time you got detention with Filth!”</p><p>Levi chuckles (chuckles, not giggle, know that). “You mean, Filch. But alright, it all began when this idiot, who had bumped into me on the first day, decided they wanted to hunt for some tree stick creatures…”</p><p>So, Levi tells them of his time. Of Hange and that night hunting for Bowtruckles in the Forbidden Forest, only to be found out by Hagrid, the Ground’s Keeper. Of when Levi punched Erwin’s insufferably smiling face in their third week (Farlan had commented how he was surprised Levi had last that long and gotten punched consequently). How Levi had punched Nile in the first week just cause (Isabel had praised him so much when he told them). How Zeke had been the most helpful academics wise. How Nanaba was probably the calmest of them all, and the coolest, but Levi didn’t really talk to her. How Mike liked to sniff people and Levi almost sucker punched him when he first tried to sniff Levi that day in the compartment (“what a weirdo,” Isabel says and Farlan agrees).</p><p>He also goes into detail about his little blood problem but doesn’t go into much detail because gross. He does show them the bronze key he keeps around his neck though, lets Isabel admire it and Farlan hold it.</p><p>The three of them fall asleep that way, sprawled on top of each other under Farlan’s blanket. That night, Levi fell asleep with a smile on his face. Good thing no one else seemed to notice.</p><p>“You better write more this time!” Isabel orders, with her hands on her hips and her pigtails in disarray. She had been crying just moments before, but she would deny it till her dying breath if either of the boys brought it up, so for both her sake and theirs they didn’t.</p><p>Levi stands at the steps of the bus meant to take him to King’s Cross, looking at Isabel’s determined face and Farlan’s hopeful one.</p><p>“Yeah, don’t forget about us this time, alright?” Farlan smiles and Levi looks down in guilt.</p><p>“I wouldn’t forget you guys,” he mumbles under his breath, but they hear him anyway.</p><p>“We know,” Farlan says, quieting Isabel. “We just want to hear more from you, got it, Levi?”</p><p>Levi nods and is crushed with another hug from Isabel (she’s a hugger, and a very strong one at that). Farlan joins in and Levi even wraps his own arms around them.</p><p>Then he detangles himself and climbs aboard the bus, looking back only once. It’s enough.</p><p>***</p><p>"Hey! Hey, Levi! Wanna see how long I can hold my breath?"</p><p>"Five sickles you can't hold it past seven minutes." No twleve year old can do past seven minutes, and Levi knows this.</p><p>Which is why he's in complete shock when he loses five sickles to Hange about eight minutes later.</p><p>***</p><p>"What are you doing, Jaeger?" Levi finds Zeke outside by the Black lake one day, parchment and quill in hand.</p><p>"Writing to my little brother. He's always excited to learn anything about what I do at Hogwarts."</p><p>Levi raises a brow. "Oh? Cool." He sits beside him, ignoring the curious look Zeke gives him when he takes out his own parchment and quill from his bookbag. </p><p>"What are you doing?"</p><p>"Writing to my family." <em>Dear Farlan and Isabel,</em></p><p>"Oh, but... aren't you from an orphanage?"</p><p>"...Yeah, but I have people waiting for me there."</p><p>"Oh, I see." </p><p>They sit there, writing their letters. At some point Zeke runs away practically screaming when Levi tries to throw a worm at his face.</p><p>***</p><p>"Levi, for the love of Merlin, is that blood on your collar?!"</p><p>"No. It's from cherries. I was eating cherries."</p><p>"... And where did you get the cherries? I don't remember there being any at the Great Hall today?"</p><p>"Mike showed me the kitchen."</p><p>"Oh, ok, thank god. For a minute I had thought you'd murdered Hange or something."</p><p>"..."</p><p>"Levi, please tell me you didn't- LEVI DON'T RUN FROM ME!"</p><p>"Mr. Ackerman! No running in the halls! We don't tolerate tomfoolery at Hogwarts! Ten points from Slytherin!"</p><p>***</p><p>"Ackerman?"</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"Respond properly when I speak to you, insolent boy," Professor Snape sneers at him. Levi openly glares back, slowly twirling his wand over his bubbling cauldron. Snape was a slimy git, as everyone else called him. Levi preferred the term, useless bag of greasy shits. </p><p>"Now," Snape stares in distaste at Levi's cauldron. "Explain to me why there is dark green smoke rising from your potion, rather than pink smoke as is meant to happen for the boil cure? Hm? Or were you too distracted by Zoe's foolish behavior to pay attention to your own work?" Hange gasps shockingly in the seat next to Levi's. </p><p>Levi glowers into his potion, willing the rising smoke to just turn pink, alas it is fruitless. Out of all the classes Levi had to be an absolute failure at, it just had to be potions.</p><p>"Well, Ackerman? Any excuse you may want to use to try and save yourself? Mind you, it won't work, but I'm willing to watch you grovel for some leniency."</p><p>Levi's grip on his wand turns knuckle white and Hange keeps giving him concerned glances. His jaw is locked tight and he wishes he could say so much but he can't, since he'd rather not spend another night in detention with Filch. So, he stands there, his head practically in his cauldron, refusing to meet Snape's eye.</p><p>"Hmph," Snape harrumphs and spins, his black robes flashing like a cape behind him. "Three points from Slytherin. And a Dreadful for the boil's cure."</p><p>When class is over, a long fifteen minutes later, Levi is the first to stomp his way out of the room. Those who cross his path in this time swear they saw his eyes flashing red for an odd second. Their friends only roll their eyes and tell them it was a trick of the light.</p><p>***</p><p>It is the last day of school, and Levi stares at the red train in front of him. Hange stands beside him. </p><p>"Can you believe? Our first year, already over," Hange sighs, leaning over Levi's shoulder dramatically. "It seems like only yesterday I bumped into you at the nine and three-fourths platform and you called me "shitty four eyes". <em>Ooh</em>, how time flies!" They peek over at Levi and find him absentmindedly staring at the train.</p><p>"Is something wrong?" they ask in concern.</p><p>Levi shakes his head and steps up to the train. "No, just thinking."</p><p>"Oh, Merlin, well don't think too hard. I don't want you to hurt yourself." They jump back in panic when Levi swirls around and knocks out a flying fist. "Kidding! I'm just kidding!"</p><p>"Just shut up."</p><p>They settle down at an empty compartment, Levi by the window and Hange, for some fucking reason, right next to him. When Levi glares at them for their proximity, they only grin as if to say, "deal with it." And deal with it Levi does, sighing in defeat and looking back out the window at the distance where the castle lay. There was a strange expression on his face, one of sadness. </p><p>The quietness, and wow is that a feat when you have Hange Zoe in the same vicinity as literally any other breathing being, was soon disrupted by the arrival of the rest of their friends. Moblit included as he smiled and sat next to Hange. Erwin looked around and quickly spelled at charm to expand the room to give everyone space. Nile sat in front of Levi and gave him a stank eye, with Levi retuned impassively. Mike and Nanaba sat down and began to mind their own business, which made them Levi's favorites at the moment. Zeke sat down and fiddled with a baseball, something that the purebloods, Erwin, Nile, and Hange, found fascinating as it wasn't a wizarding game at all. </p><p>"It's mostly American. My aunt took my siblings and I last summer and I got interested. Turns out I have a great throwing arm," Zeke says with a smug smile.</p><p>"oohs" and "ahs" went around but Levi ignored them, watching the window as the train begin to move. </p><p>"You okay, Levi?" Nanaba asks, and yeah Levi takes back his comment about her being his favorite. </p><p>He only grunts out a yes and continues his staring. </p><p>"Ready to go home?" Moblit asks, and okay Levi can't really find himself annoyed at Moblit of all people, he's too nice. So, all he does is just nod. </p><p>"Ready to see your family?" This one is asked by Zeke and Levi pauses. The training is moving farther away from the station, and Levi won't be able to see the castle in a few minutes. He thinks of Isabel and Farlan, eagerly waiting for him. Thinks of all their exchanged letters. Thinks of Isabel's smile and Farlan's eyes. Thinks of the three of them huddled under Farlan's blanket, trading secrets and wishes.</p><p>"Yeah," Levi says in a light voice. "I am."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Alakazam!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Levi returns for his second year at Hogwarts and meets the one and only Boy-Who-Lived! (Not really though)<br/>Along his second year, though, he starts to notice changes. And he's sure that nothing will be the same after this.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alakazam: Used as an invocation of magical power or to indicate an instantaneous transformation or appeareance that occurs by or as if by magic. (According to Merriam-Webster)</p><p>The second chapter is here! I'll be honest this one got out of hand and went off the rails from how I had originally percieved it, but eh, I guess that's just the way of writing. You start from point A, expecting to go straigh to points B and C, and somehow side track to points J and K. Im still very proud of it and some of the interactions I created in it! You get more info about Levi and the gang in this chapter, and Harry Potter is introduced! (Albiet, not directly)</p><p>Enjoy! And please leave your thoughts if you wish!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>(<span class="u">The year of 1991. Harry Potter receives his Hogwarts letter, many of them actually, and sets for the Hogwarts Express. Friends and enemies await for him, waiting for a chance to meet the Boy-Who-Lived. Voldemort is trying not to not end it all right then and there as he pushes through another day of being suffocated by Quirrell’s hideous turban.)</span></em>
</p><p> </p><p><br/>The summer of 1991 is a strange one for Levi. He spends it at Sina Orphanage, as he has done for the previous three summers, with Isabel and Farlan, chasing one another at the park, having contests over who can push the others the highest on the swing (Levi always wins), doing chores (which Levi takes a bit of joy in, especially in cleaning, it just soothes something aching in him), and punching other boys who try to mess with Isabel. Levi does other things as well, things he had never even dreamed of doing in the past summers. He exchanges letters with his “friends” (Levi always grumbles that they are acquaintances but Farlan and Isabel never believe) from Hogwarts via owl and shares stories about his time learning magic when it’s just the three of them and a lantern huddling under blankets.</p><p>It's a nice summer, really. Levi enjoys it. It gets a little disheartening, though, when September first approaches and Levi has to leave. It’s even more disheartening when he alone sets for Hogwarts. Farlan didn’t receive any letter this year. And he had turned eleven in February.</p><p>“It’s alright,” Farlan says with a smile on the thirty first of August. The three of them are huddled on his bed, and he smiles at them reassuringly. “So, what if I’m a ‘muggle’ and I can’t go to Hogwarts.” He shrugs, then drags an arm around Isabel and gives her a harsh ruffle. “It just means I’ll be here to watch after <em>you</em>. Make sure you don’t die or get yourself killed.”</p><p>“Farlan! Knock it off!” Isabel cries out in frustration.</p><p>Levi watches them, watches Farlan. He seems and acts fine, but he’s not. There’s disappointment in his eyes when he thinks no one is looking. But Levi always is. He has to, otherwise he might just lose track of important shit like this.</p><p>“You’re right, it doesn’t matter,” Levi says, arms behind his head, and Isabel and Farlan stop their wrestling to look over at him. “Not like you’ll need magic when you have that head of yours. I’m sure you’ll get by just fine.”</p><p>Farlan smiles again, and Levi likes this one much better. “Yeah, you’re right.”</p><p>***</p><p>The first of September arrives quickly, and Levi has no clue how to feel about it. He has said his goodbyes to Farlan and Isabel, making no promises to write more because Levi just did not have the time for that. They would just have to deal with his once-a-month owls. So, it was safe to say Isabel was currently cursing him out. Meaning he couldn’t turn back on the bus and go home because dear God – Slytherin – Merlin – whatever the fuck has led him on this path of hell – Levi is <em>not </em>about to deal with whatever the fuck this is in front of him.</p><p>A family of red heads – honest to god <em>gingers</em> – and who can only be the fucking chosen one himself blocking the barrier to the nine and three-fourths platform. And would you look at that, it just has to be the red headed family of the Hogwarts twin terrors, the Weasley Twins. Those fuckers. They were only a year above Levi and yet they were well known for their pranks pulled on <em>everyone</em>, not even McGonagall had been safe once a upon time from what Levi had heard from Erwin (who had sworn he was <em>right there </em>when the twins had charmed her mug to her table, and she had almost fallen over from her attempt to pick it up). They were also the two assholes who had found it funny to set off a dung bomb in Levi’s compartment exactly one year ago. Like he said, assholes.</p><p>And here they were, right in between Levi and the barrier to Hogwarts. Along with them was a plump woman – their mother most likely, and <em>boy </em>does Levi want to have words with her – holding onto a little girl’s hand, encouraging another boy, this one tall with large ears. There was also another boy, whose hair was a FAILURE. By Merlin, did Levi want to comb it, brush it, charm it, or hell just shave it all off because that thing did not need to see the light of day. The only reason Levi knew this kid was not one of the Weasley’s was his lack of red, and wow was it a sight when there were more gingers than brunettes in any given space.</p><p>Levi watches with distaste as the family of redheads and the awkward boy vanish through barrier, sighing when it’s finally his turn. He rolls his neck and grips his trolley, taking a deep breath, before setting off on a run.</p><p>The now familiar and expected feeling washes over him, and Levi shudders as he fully passes through. When he opens his eyes, there is the Hogwarts Express in all its beauty.</p><p>“Yoo-hoo! Levi!” A yell across the station, and when Levi looks up at the one and only Hange Zoe, waving excitedly from their spot next to a bald, and mustached, old man. He arrives at their side, dragging his feet almost reluctantly. It’s not like he didn’t miss Hange – God, he can’t believe he admitted to such an atrocity – and wasn’t happy to see them after the two months of summer. It was just that they could be a bit much, and Levi was hoping to find a compartment to just relax in. Alas, it seems today just isn’t going his way.</p><p>“Levi, remember my uncle Pixis?”</p><p>Levi nods mutely at the bald man dressed in a green robe. The man smiles, and Levi’s nose wrinkles at the distinct smell of alcohol. Merlin, the man was still an alcoholic. Did he never bore of the booze? Levi thinks back to his time with Kenny, of drinking at the young age of eight, of Kenny’s voice, “If you can’t handle simple booze, how are ya ever gonna handle your own bloody drink?” Of course, bloody drink was alluding to many things.</p><p>Kenny definitely should not have ever had any kind of guardianship of a child, least of all a blood thirsty child. Now, Levi’s got trauma.</p><p>“Hello, Levi. Had a nice summer, I hope,” Pixis seems to sway on his feet and Hange laughs, holding him up.</p><p>“Uncle, I think you should settle down on the fire whisky. You need to apparat home after this, remember?”</p><p>Pixis waves them off. “It’s alright, Hange, I’ll just hail a taxi. It’ll be a nice trip through town.”</p><p>“Oh, Uncle,” sighs Hange. “We live all the way in Scotland.”</p><p>Levi stands there for a while, watching as Hange tries to wrangle their drunk of an uncle, wondering if all uncles were unreliable parental figures. Maybe it was just the thing these days to be a shitty parent? Levi isn’t entirely sure, nor does he care all that much actually. He just really wants to get on that fucking train. When he and Hange finally do board it, bidding their goodbyes to an a red faced Pixis, they are quickly assured into a compartment that holds all their friends.</p><p>One thing about Hogwarts, Levi had learned a year ago, is that your first year at Hogwarts is life defining. Especially when it comes to your social circles. Which is why the residents of this train are Erwin, Nile (fuck him, though), Mike (who had hauled the two in), and Nanaba. The only one missing was-</p><p>“Where’s Zeke?” Thanks for asking Hange. No one has a fucking clue if their head shakes are anything to go by. Levi sighs and pulls out his wand.</p><p>“Wingardium Leviosa,” he says with a swish and flick, levitating his luggage to the overtops.</p><p>Hange scoffs, “show off.”</p><p>Levi smirks, leaning back on the cushions next to the window. And speak of the monkey.</p><p>“There’s the ass, arriving late as always,” he says, eyeing the Jaeger family as they perform their traditional family goodbye hug that Levi has come to terms with is just a thing with them. They are a touchy family. Levi wonders what it’s like, then promptly vanishes the thought.</p><p>Erwin leans over Levi’s shoulder, peeking out the window. Levi scowls and elbows him in the chest and Erwin actually grunts, rubbing at his chest. “Ouch, no need to be so harsh, Levi.”</p><p>Levi smirks, ignoring Hange’s background squealing as Moblit steps into the compartment. Outside, Mrs. Jaeger is sternly talking to Zeke’s younger brother, most likely reprimanding him for something. The Asian girl, who was adopted around two years ago according to Zeke, is listening acutely to the woman, nodding along as if agreeing. The little boy only seems to be growing angrier with his mother’s words, face flushed red and <em>angry</em>. And it’s an interesting anger. It’s like fury and hell fire rising behind his blinding eyes. It’s honestly a little unsettling, but Levi can’t find it in himself to look away.</p><p>The boy is now talking back to his mother, and his sister is giving him a disappointed look. She knocks his shoulder when he says something and the boy only seethes more, pushing her away, yelling if Levi is hearing correctly, and crossing his arms. The people on the platform are staring, and they have absolutely no tact in at least hiding their eavesdropping. The boy’s face is red and gleaming, and his eyes appear almost murderous. His mother isn’t having it though, as she quickly scolds him more. Their voices don’t penetrate well through the closed window, but the tones and facial expressions carry enough of the meaning behind the conversation. The boy’s father is quick to steps in between his wife and child and calmy chides the boy. Zeke also steps in and places a hand on his shoulder, crouching down to say a few words. His back is to their window, so Levi can’t see what Zeke is saying or doing, but whatever it is, it seems to calm the boy down enough for a quick hug and goodbye.</p><p>The family disperses from Zeke, who steps on the train, leaving. The mother is still scolding the boy, but with a few words from her husband she seems to back off.</p><p>The compartment is quiet, and the sliding of the door is a loud intrusion on that quiet.</p><p>“Your brother has got quite the temper,” says Nanaba, who watched the spectacle.</p><p>Zeke laughs almost disbelievingly as he takes his seat next to Nile, “you have no idea.”</p><p>“Where does he get it from? Something that small doesn’t seem like it’d have so much anger to hold.”</p><p>“That, I have no clue. He’s just like that I suppose.”</p><p>Levi frowns, because no. You couldn’t be like that. No one was just angry like that. No, that anger came from somewhere, or something, or someone. It was born out of a darkness. A haunting past.  A trauma of some sort, most likely, one that doesn’t go away very easily. Zeke wasn’t stupid enough to believe his little brother was just angry for no reason. He was most likely just trying to protect the boy’s dignity. Not that he had any left after the event everyone had just witnessed.</p><p>“I think he’s cute. He looks just like your mother, Zeke!” Exclaims Hange.</p><p>“Is your brother also going to Hogwarts, Zeke?” Asks Moblit.</p><p>Zeke’s face suddenly grows tight, as if he were extremely constipated.</p><p>“What’s with the face? You need to take a shit? The bathroom is down the hall,” says Levi, flickering to the door with his hand. Erwin gives him a look of disapproval, but Levi only ignores him.</p><p>Zeke shakes his head as if to clear his thoughts. “No, I’m fine. It’s just my brother coming to Hogwarts worries me a little.”</p><p>“Why so?”</p><p>“Well, he’s kind of… sick, you see. He’s got this condition, which can make it hard for him to… control his magic, sometimes.”</p><p>Levi thinks back to his first time at platform nine and three-fourths. To the train, to the horn, to the Jaeger family waving goodbye, to a little boy with such <em>strange </em>eyes following along the train, to those eyes looking right at him, to the tingling. He hadn’t looked sick to Levi at the time. He had just looked… normal. Like any other boy wishing to go to Hogwarts. A little angry and violent, perhaps, but lots of boys go through that stage. Is it a healthy stage? No. But it happens. Maybe it was a new sickness? Something he had caught after?</p><p>A glint of interest appears in Hange’s eyes as they lean over. “Condition? What kind of condition?”</p><p>Zeke’s lips pinch. “What’s with all the questions about my little brother? Don’t tell me you’ve got a crush, Zoe? Surprising when Moblit is right there.”</p><p>The quiet boy flushes at the call out, head bowing to hide his face. Hange only waves Zeke off, “Just curious. This is the first time I’ve heard that such a sickness can cause one to lose control of their magic. And besides, isn’t your dad a healer? Can’t he fix it?”</p><p>Zeke’s frown deepens and there’s a familiar flash of anger that looks achingly familiar to the boy’s from some moments ago. “Buzz off, Hange. My brother’s condition shouldn’t concern you this much.” Zeke crosses his arms and stares out the window sullenly. Erwin pats his shoulder in an attempt to douse the tension rolling off of him. Hange’s lips pinch into a thin line, and they fiddle with the goggles around their neck, muttering out a “sorry.”</p><p>The compartment falls into an almost stifling quiet, until Nanaba says, “Have you heard, Harry Potter is on the Hogwarts Express today.”</p><p>“Oh, yeah! Forgot the boy-who-lived is finally old enough to come to Hogwarts!”</p><p>“How could you forget? It’s literally all anyone has talked about this summer!”</p><p>“Hey, it just slipped my mind, alright? Now get off my arse.”</p><p>“Nile leave Hange alone,” sighs Erwin, but there’s a certain gleam in his eyes. Levi watches from his seat as everyone, even Zeke, starts to discuss Potter’s return to the Wizarding World.<br/>“You guys are this excited for a first year?” he asks, a mocking smile on his face.</p><p>Hange laughs in disbelief. “He’s not just any first year, Levi! He’s the Boy-Who-Lived!”</p><p>“That’s just some stupid nickname someone, probably an old crack pipe, placed on a toddler.”</p><p>“Do you even know <em>why </em>they call him that?”</p><p>“Don’t care.”</p><p>“It’s because he’s the only person to ever survive the death curse,” Erwin says and Hange nods along, the two sharing the same almost crazed look in their eyes. Levi eyes them worriedly, not liking their expressions. Almost like they were hungry for something. Hungry for more. It makes his throat dry up, until he coughs to clear it.</p><p>“And? So, he survived a measly curse, whoopdy-doo.”</p><p>Nile groans, throwing his head back. “Do you really not get it?” Levi glares at the insufferable fucker.</p><p>“I don’t need to get it. It doesn’t change the face that you idiots all have your knickers in a twist over a boy, who no one has even <em>seen</em> in the last decade.”</p><p>“Not true! My uncle swore he saw a boy with a lightning scar on his forehead once.”</p><p>“That could have been anyone.”</p><p>“But he had green eyes and glasses! I swear, my uncle said so!”</p><p>“Your uncle is a drunk who can’t tell his right hand from his left foot.”</p><p>“Alright, Levi, that’s enough,” says Erwin, always the peacemaking fuck of the group, especially when it comes to the younger members.</p><p>“Okay, you are not wrong about my uncle, but Harry Potter is most certainly real! Actually,” Hange stands up, a look of determination on their face. Moblit gets the same look of trepidation he always gets when he knows Hange is going to do some extra bullshit. “I’m going to go look for him!”</p><p>“Hange,” Moblit starts.</p><p>“No way, you’re really going to search the entire train?” Nile asks.</p><p>“Yep! Since Shortie over there doesn’t seem to believe the boy even exists, I’m just going to have to prove him wrong.” Levi rolls his eyes as the compartment door opens and shuts, giving Moblit a look in apology when the boy sighs tiredly and gets up, muttering about how it was only the first day back and <em>they weren’t even at school yet, dammit, Hange.</em></p><p>“Hmm, what house do you guys think Harry Potter would even be in?” Nanaba asks.</p><p>“Hufflepuff, he’s a hard worker, I’m sure of it,” sniffs Mike, a self-assured smile on his face.</p><p>“Nah, he’s probably a bloody Gryffindor,” gripes Nile, scowling at the mention of their rivals. Levi only rolls his eyes, the house rivalry never real made sense to him, nor did he care for it much. Eld and Gunther were pretty cool studying partners, they didn’t talk <em>every five seconds </em>like his fellow Slytherin.</p><p>“You never know, Nile,” smiles Erwin, leaning back in his seat as if it was a throne. “He might just end up a Slytherin. He’s got to have some ambition in him to survive the mother of all dark curses.”</p><p>Nile rolls his eyes and mutters, “sure, Erwin, whatever floats in that strange mind of yours.”</p><p>“Maybe he’ll be in Ravenclaw,” says Zeke, former tension seems to have dissipated, and thank Slytherin for that.</p><p>“Does it matter?” Everyone looks to Levi when he speaks, expression set in that same <em>‘why are you always like this, Levi.</em>’ Levi huffs and stares out the window, ignoring everyone like he should have just done from the beginning.</p><p>Just then, the door slides open, <em>again</em>, but instead of a wild Hange and tired Moblit, it’s two kids clad in black robes. First years.</p><p>“Um, have,” The boy eyes the green on Erwin’s robes (the fucker had his robes on from the moment he stepped on the train; Levi really wants to roll his eyes). “Have any of you seen a toad, by any chance?” The boy’s tone is shaky, and he seems extremely nervous. Levi feels a sense of pity.</p><p>“A toad,” murmurs Zeke, looking around the compartment before giving a shake of his head. “Ah, no, sorry. No toad here.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” Asks the girl next to the boy, and wow Levi has to marvel at bushy hair sprouting from her hair. (Did people not know what a brush was these days?)</p><p>Zeke blanches at the almost snobby tone of the girl. “Um, yes, we’re sure.”</p><p>She nods her head once, all righteous and confident. Levi shares a look with Erwin and snorts. “Alright, then. Come, Neville, we’ll keep looking for Trevor.”</p><p>“Who names a toad Trevor?” Asks Mike once the two leave. Nile scoffs.</p><p>“Who has a toad for a pet? Why not get something more suitable for your first year at Hogwarts, like an owl?”</p><p>“It is odd, but we can’t just go judging people for their pet choices.”</p><p>“Sure, we can! Besides, you have no room to speak. You brought a fucking snake first year, you weirdo.”</p><p>“Oh, I remember that.” Zeke shivers and Mike huffs, patting his shoulder in comfort. Nanaba only shakes her head, then notices Levi’s curious look and gives him a smile.</p><p>“Erwin brought a snake for a pet in our first year. It got taken away by Professor McGonagall in the second week.”</p><p>Levi side eyes Erwin, “A snake? You were just meant for Slytherin weren’t you?”</p><p>Erwin smiles almost sheepishly, “well,”</p><p>“Oh, please, the hat had called out Slytherin before it was even fully seated on his fat head. Erwin here is a Slytherin through and through.”  Nile smirks and claps Erwin on the shoulder. If you couldn’t already tell, it was a show of companionship when they did so. Erwin had tried to do it once, last year, and had almost had his hand bitten off. No one has tried it since, except for Hange, who did get their hand bitten.</p><p>The compartment slams open and almost everyone jumps in shock. Standing there is Hange, a crazed look on their face. Moblit mouths at them apologetically from behind their shoulder.</p><p>“I found him,” gloats Hange, hands on their hips in triumph.</p><p>“Oh?” Levi raises a brow and sweeps his gaze behind their shoulder. “I don’t see him.”</p><p>“He’s in a compartment with this other boy. A Weasley, if that red head is anything to go off of.”<br/>“There’s more Weasleys?” Erwin looks shocked, while Nile appears green and sick, as if he just smelled his own diarrhea.</p><p>“It’s like they’re multiplying by the day,” whispers Nanaba to Mike, who only sniffs in agreement.</p><p>“Geeze, I feel sorry for their parents. Having so many kids has got to be hard. I can barely handle my brother most days,” says Zeke, and Levi wonders what kind of person his brother is. By the sounds of it, rowdy and uncontrollable. Although Levi has never real heard anyone talk about a family member as much as Zeke does about his own little siblings, especially his brother. There’s so much fondness and nostalgia when Zeke speaks of a memory or letter; stupid, goofy smile on his face. Hmm, guess he’ll find out in about a year or so.</p><p>“Forget about the Weasleys!” Yells Hange, arms waving in the air. Moblit tries, fruitlessly, to push them into their seat. “I just met Harry fucking Potter!”</p><p>“How was he?” Asks Erwin.</p><p>“Well, he made rivals with Draco Malfoy, so you can guess how he is.”</p><p>“That’s not surprising, though. Everyone knows the Malfoys were heavily involved with the Death eaters. They were bound to butt heads with their pasts.”</p><p>“It seems Potter and Malfoy are destined rivals.”</p><p>The discussion quickly moves on to bigshot names that Levi has no knowledge of.</p><p>“God, this is going to be one fucking long train ride,” mutters Levi, pressing his temple against the cool window glass. This year sure is going to be an interesting one.</p><p>***</p><p>“Told you he’d be in Gryffindor,” snipes Nile, swiping two galleons from Erwin’s hand. Erwin doesn’t seem too distraught over losing the bet, only shrugging as he continues to eye the Boy-Who-Lived from across the Great Hall.</p><p>“But didn’t you see,” Erwin says, creepy smile of his returning.</p><p>“Don’t do that, you look fucking weird,” Levi says, sipping his soup. Nile and Hange agree.</p><p>“The hat hesitated when it came to Potter.”</p><p>“So?”</p><p>“So, it means he isn’t a true and through Gryffindor. I mean, look at Malfoy and that Weasley boy. The difference in the hat’s reaction and time between Potter and them is interesting isn’t it?”</p><p>“Ooh, very true,” says Hange, gears turning.</p><p>Levi glances at Potter, sitting next to a ginger boy (Weasley, he assumes, because who else would have that hair really), marveling at all the food in front of him, as if he had never imagined so much food in one place.</p><p>“Doesn’t mean he was meant for Slytherin,” mutters Nile. “You’re just talking out of your arse, Erwin. And tone that smile down, would you.”</p><p>“Heh, sorry.”</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Farlan Church</em>
</p><p>
  <em>2nd bedroom, 3rd floor, Sina Orphanage</em>
</p><p>
  <em>xxxx</em>
</p><p>
  <em>London, England</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Dear Farlan and Isabel,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>            Remember the tale of the Wizarding world I told you both about? Well, the savior just showed up. A fucking eleven year old with the craziest hair I’ve ever had the displeasure of seeing. I’m half tempted to spell it all off, just so I won’t have to see it, but Erwin, the fucker, says I shouldn’t mess with the boy just yet. It’s fucking stupid, really. The whole school practically worships the ground he walks on, even some Slytherins. I’ve seen him up close, he’s not all that. Just same gangly little kid, who has no fucking clue what he’s doing. It’s sad, really, but I don’t really give a fuck. As long as he doesn’t get in my way, I have no issue with him. He’s just a kid. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>            Anyways, nothing much has happened just yet. Class is alright, but potions has only gotten worse. It’s like Snape’s mood has only gotten worse from last years, and I didn’t even think that was possible. He has the first years right before our class, specifically the one with Potter in it. I think he’s jealous of all the attention and glory the kid gets, which is kind of fucked up, but I wouldn’t put it past him to not be like that. I’m hoping the Weasley twins drop a dung bomb in one of his cauldrons, that would be fucking hilarious, but I think even they are a little skeptical of messing with him. There’s also the new DADA teacher (You guys remember that dark arts bullshit class I told you about? The one that seems cursed because they can never keep a teacher for more than a year? Yeah, it’s completely useless, I didn’t learn anything last year, and I doubt we’ll learn much this year either.) He used to be the old Muggle studies teacher, apparently. He thought all the pure blood assholes about the muggle world. Anyways, you won’t believe the bullshit he did on the first week of classes. He put up fucking <span class="u">garlic </span>in class, to ward off <span class="u">vampires</span>. Apparently, he had a fight with one or some shit, and now he’s gone bonkers and is constantly paranoid over what the blood sucker coming back to finish him off. Kind of funny considering the student in his class, but I’m more pissed about the garlic still. I could smell it from the hallway down and I almost, honest to God, threw up. It was disgusting. I told him I was allergic to garlic and would not step foot in his class, and then he asked me if I was a vampire. Thankfully, McGonagall stepped in and had him take off the garlic, saying it was “an endangerment to students with allergies, by Merlin, Quirrell, are you an idiot?” I think that’s what she said, I don’t know, I was too busy gagging over the shitty garlic. It was EVERYWHERE. I just know this year is going to be crap. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>            Let’s hope no one dies this year.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>From,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Levi Ackerman</em>
</p><p>
  <em>***</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Hange, stop! You can’t go looking for the troll!” Erwin grips tightly onto the struggling second years’ robes, pulling them along with the other Slytherins.</p><p>“But-but I have to find it! You don’t understand, it’s a <em>troll! </em>Do you know how long I’ve been wanting to meet one!?”</p><p>“Just look in the mirror if you want to meet one so badly,” says Levi, side stepping the mess that is Erwin holding back Hange and walking to the Slytherin dorms.</p><p>“Fuck you!”</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Farlan Church</em>
</p><p>
  <em>2nd bedroom, 3rd floor, Sina Orphanage</em>
</p><p>
  <em>xxxx</em>
</p><p>
  <em>London, England</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Dear Farlan and Isabel,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>There was a fucking TROLL, in the bathroom on Halloween. And apparently, Harry Potter was the one to stop it. Along with his two sidekicks. Malfoy, this posh pure blood first year, is fuming in jealousy, going off about Potter this and Potter that. God, I almost hexed him the other day, but Snape of all fucks just had to catch me. Now, everyone has reignited their Harry Potter obsession, right after it had almost toned down. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>            No one has died. Yet. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Snape snapped one day and flung Potter out the window. It would be funny, but I would rather not ever see Snape gain any sort of satisfaction ever in his lifetime, so I hope that Potter is clever enough to not get on Snape’s nerves too much. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>            How is school for you two? Isabel, you better not be slacking off, and Farlan, you better be helping her out with her homework. I’ve sent you some treats, they’re the wizarding kind, so be careful. The chocolate frogs are good, but they hop around a lot. The sugar quills are also nice, but don’t give to many of them to Isabel, Farlan. I don’t want her going on a sugar high, I already had to deal with one from Hange. Enjoy the jelly slugs, they’re absolutely disgusting but I’m sure you two will like them. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>From,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Levi Ackerman</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(P.S. Lay off on those crackers, Isa, you shouldn’t be stuffing the owls with them, they’ll get sick.)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>***</em>
</p><p>“Oh, wow, he’s actually very good,” remarks Hange, bundled up in their Slytherin scarf.</p><p>
  <em>“Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I’m sure.”</em>
</p><p>They hiss in sympathy. “Never mind. He’s just a kid, should they really be letting him play so young?”</p><p>Erwin hums, watching as the Boy-Who-Lived, “Well, if he’s good enough to earn Professor McGonagall’s approval, then I’m sure he’ll do just fine.” A pause, as Potter tries to regain his balance on his broom. “Hopefully.”</p><p>Levi doesn’t know what he’s doing out here, watching quidditch of all things. It seems pointless, sitting out here in the chill of November, watching a game all for the savoir of the Wizarding world. Levi doesn’t even like quidditch that much. Flying? Yes, definitely. He had the best time in flying class with Madam Hooch. He had never felt freer than on a broom, yet he saw no joy into making it a competition.</p><p>“You shoulda joined, Levi! We coulda really used you!”</p><p>“I don’t care, quidditch doesn’t interest me at all.”</p><p>“Then what are you doing out here?”</p><p>“You wouldn’t leave me alone until I agreed to come watch with you, fucking four eyes.”</p><p>“Alright, alright. Calm down, it’s not like I was trying to bother you –”</p><p>“You very clearly were trying to bother me, you –”</p><p>“Both of you shut up!” Erwin pushes the two aside and points into the sky. “Look!”</p><p>There in the sky, Harry Potter’s broom seems to tumble and turn, completely out of control, almost throwing the boy off completely, until he’s just barely hanging on by his fingertips. The Weasley twins are quick to swoop over, helping the boy try to stay on the broom.</p><p>“That doesn’t look right. Brooms aren’t supposed to be so overreacting like that. There must be some other element at play. Another force,” Levi tunes out Hange’s rambling, and focuses on Potter as he tries desperately to stay upright on his broom. Then his eyes flit over to the teacher’s stands, where all the professors are watching worriedly, except for Snape who is muttering under his breath. Levi freezes when he spots a bushy haired girl sneaking up behind the professor.</p><p>“What the fuck is going on –”</p><p>Snape yells out as flames grow on his black robes.</p><p>“Merlin,” swears Erwin.</p><p>“He’s falling!” Cries out Hange, gripping their oily hair (Levi is definitely knocking them out later to give them a good wash when they go back to the dorms).</p><p>Potter seems to gain control back over his broom, except now he’s diving straight for the ground, the fucking idiot! Then-</p><p>“Did he,” Hange stutters, staring in terror.</p><p>“He just swallowed the snitch,” says Levi, staring wide. Holy fucking shit, so much for the youngest Seeker in a century.</p><p>“No, he didn’t swallow it, look.” Erwin points to Potter, who opens his mouth and grabs a shiny, golden ball. The Boy-Who-Lived raises a snitch high in the air and the crowd <em>screams</em>.</p><p>“Huh,” says Hange, finally sitting down on the bench.</p><p>“Yeah,” says Levi. What the fuck had just happened?</p><p>The game is quickly over after that and the three Slytherin’s are walking back to the building with their friends. Hange is rambling excitedly to Moblit, who can only nod and smile along as he tries to understand the shit that is coming out of the ass Hange has for a mouth. Erwin and Mike are discussing the game with softer words, and the two Ravenclaws, Zeke and Nanaba, are trying to rope Levi into a conversation.</p><p>“Can’t wait for Ravenclaw’s game in about a week. It’s us against the Hufflepuffs,” boasts Zeke, who is part of his house’s quidditch team as a chaser, known for his strong aim. Nanaba is the Ravenclaw beater, and it’s shown well in her toned arms and shoulders which Mike has an arm around currently. Levi tries to curl back in disgust at their easy public display of affection.</p><p>Up ahead, Petra and Oluo are in a heated discussion about something and there’s a trickle of blood down Oluo’s lip so Levi can only guess that the dumb ass has gone and bitten his tongue again. He really needed to get that checked out. Eld and Gunther were most likely celebrating with the rest of the Gryffindor’s.</p><p>They are met with Nile Dok at the entrance to the castle, who is looking disheveled and smiling wide. He leans across the wall, smirking smugly. Levi rolls his eyes. Probably went on a date with that Marie girl he won’t shut up about.</p><p>Nile crosses his arms at them and asks, “what’d I miss?”</p><p>***</p><p>“He swallowed the snitch!?” Isabel leans forward, almost toppling over the edge of her bed. Farlan pushes her back, “No, idiot, he didn’t actually swallow it. You already know what happened, remember?”</p><p>Isabel pouts and crosses her arms, lying down on her bed. “Well, maybe I want to hear it again. Ever thought of that, Farlan?”</p><p>Farlan rolls his eyes. “So, what else happened? Did the girl get in trouble for setting the teacher’s robes on fire? Did they find out what happened to the kid’s broom? Did that Quirrell guy ever take off his turban? Did you get caught sneaking into the Forbidden Forest?”</p><p>The blond is obviously just as excited and curious as Isabel to hear more about Levi’s time at Hogwarts, and Levi really can’t blame him. Going to a magical school is definitely one of the more interesting things to happen to his life. Which is strange, since Levi is a fucking-</p><p>“No, the girl didn’t get in trouble. No one really gets in trouble at Hogwarts, the most you’ll get is a detention or two scrubbing the chalk boards or writing notes. If you’re very unlucky, though, you may get detention with Filch, he’s kind of torturous.”</p><p>“They allow people like that at your school?”</p><p>Levi shrugs, “he’s psychotic, not a criminal.”</p><p>“He seems like one.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. Also, no we never found out what happened to the broom. Freak accident, really, or so everyone calls it. Some do say that Snape cursed Potter’s broom, but no one’s really sure.”</p><p>“He definitely did it, the evil git.”</p><p>“Isabel you’ve never even met him. You don’t know a thing about him.”</p><p>“We’re non magic, Farlan. I’m pretty sure he already hates us, just like all those are pure shits at Hogwarts.”</p><p>“Stop disrupting me, brat,” Levi growls. “And, no, Quirrell still hasn’t taken off that stupid turban. I doubt he even washes it, the crazy fuck. And, also no, I did not get caught in the Forbidden Forest. I’m allowed free rein of it to ‘stretch out my legs’ if I ask for permission form old Dumbledore. Any more questions?”</p><p>Farlan opens his mouth to ask but Levi glares at him. “Okay, good. No more questions then. Go to bed.” Levi blows out the candle next to their bed and Isabel groans.</p><p>“It’s nine O’ clock!’ She cries. “Bedtime is at ten!”</p><p>“Too bad. I’m tired.”</p><p>“You fucker, you barely sleep at all!”</p><p>“Leave him alone, Isa. We’ll get more out of him tomorrow.”</p><p>“You here that,” taunts Isabel. Levi only hides his head under his blanket. “You won’t be getting away that easily.”</p><p>Christmas couldn’t pass any sooner.</p><p>***</p><p>“What are you doing out of bed, Levi?”</p><p>“None of your business, Hange. What are <em>you </em>doing out of bed?”</p><p>“I heard there’s a nest of Acromantula in the Forbidden Forest.”</p><p>… “And you’re going to try and find them?”</p><p>“…Yes.”</p><p>“Alone?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Alright, then. It’s your funeral.”</p><p>“WAIT! You mean you won’t come with me!?”</p><p>The next morning finds Levi and Hange getting a twenty-minute scolding from Snape about staying in their dorms instead of fooling around in the forest like a bunch of Gryffindor’s.</p><p>“What do you think those Centaurs wanted with Potter?” Hange asks Levi as they leave Snape’s office for breakfast, rubbing tiredly at their eyes.</p><p>“I don’t know, and I don’t care. It’s Potter, leave that bullshit for Malfoy to worry about.”</p><p>***</p><p>It’s a nice day out by the Black lake, studying for the upcoming exams. Levi is studying for his potions with Gunther, who’s the best potioneer in their entire class (even if Snape won’t ever give him anything higher than an Acceptable, the prejudices Slytherin). Sprawled around them is Petra, Oluo, and Eld. Hange and Moblit had been with them prior, but the crazy Slytherin had ultimately ended up dragging the poor Ravenclaw away to who knows where to do fuck knows what. Levi, for once, is thankful he isn’t dragged along with them like a third wheel.</p><p>“Alright, and what are the ingredients for a sleeping drought?” Asks Gunther, holding up Levi’s potions book.</p><p>“Flobberworm Mucus, lavender, Valerian sprigs, and Stand Ingredient, whatever the hell that is.”</p><p>“And what is it most used for?”</p><p>“Fuck if I know. Sleeping?” Levi shrugs.</p><p>“For insomnia or nightmare-stricken sleep,” calls out Petra. Levi gives her a nod as thanks.</p><p>“Did you hear,” says Oluo to Eld, who hums as he buries his head in his book, probably half asleep.</p><p>“Apparently, Zeke Jaeger, the fourth year Ravenclaw, got into a fight with some Flinch during last week’s Quidditch game.”</p><p>“Really? I didn’t see anything.”</p><p>“They did,” says Petra, leaning in close to them. At this point none of them were even bothering to study, instead listening in on Petra’s story.</p><p>“I heard from Isle, who heard from a friend, who heard from another friend, who heard from Nanaba, the Ravenclaw beater, that Flint was talking about Zeke’s mother.”</p><p>“Ah, of course he was,” Eld says. “His mum’s a muggle, right? Cause my old man with to school with Zeke’s father, but he never saw Mrs. Jager during any of those seven years.”</p><p>“Maybe she’s just much younger or older than Mr. Jaeger,” chimes in Gunther.</p><p>“Eh, who knows. All I know is Flint has always been known for his snobby attitude. Typical Slytherin.” Oluo shrugs, then pauses once he meets Levi’s gaze. “I – uh, no offense, Levi. I swear.”</p><p>Levi just rolls his eyes. “It’s alright, Oluo, don’t piss your trousers. Besides, you’re not wrong, Flint is a squirmy git.”</p><p>Oluo sighs, then yowls as he bites through his tongue. Petra only sighs and hands him a hankie. “Poor, Zeke. Hope he didn’t get into any serious trouble. Merlin knows, Flint needed his arse kicked once in a while.”</p><p>“The entire Slytherin quidditch team does. They can all be such dicks.”</p><p>Levi stares into his book, trying to focus as hard as he can on the words written in it. Yet, it’s hard to focus when your brain decides to focus solely on the discussions around you. Yes, the Slytherin quidditch team could use some development. Their sexism is appalling, seeing as how there are no female or non-male members besides boys, and according to Erwin, there hasn’t been for over a decade now. Their pathetic and honestly disgusting attitude towards muggleborns and muggles in general is also off putting. There’s also the fact that they act so high and mighty just because they are in the house of Slytherin, the most “noble” and “pure” of all the houses, which is bullshit to Levi. It leaves a bad taste in everyone’s name, and only brings suffering towards the other Slytherins, especially the younger and more impressionable ones. Levi remembers walking into the Slytherin common only to find one of the first years crying after a prank pulled on her by older Gryffindors. And a month before that, another Slytherin, this one a second year, had been brought to tears by a fellow classmate.</p><p>Yet, the only thing Levi can really focus on is the memory of Isabel, eyes shining, declaring that once she comes to Hogwarts, she is going to bribe the ceremonial hat with candy to put her in Slytherin. “I wanna stay with you, big bro! Right, Farlan?” And Farlan had nodded along, albeit with a much sadder smile. “We’ll all be Slytherins together! Hiss, hiss, motherfuckers!”</p><p>The quill in Levi’s hand snaps and heads turn to look at him guiltily.</p><p>“Sorry, Levi,” says Petra in that sweet tone of hers. “We didn’t mean to make you upset.”</p><p>Levi only sighs and lets the broke quill fall into his lap. “It’s not your fault, none of yours. You’re not wrong about the Slytherin team, they bring a bad taste to even my and other Slytherin’s mouths. Just, be careful not to let your house prejudices affect how you view all Slytherins. We’re not all that bad, you know.” Isabel’s bright smile. Farlan’s wrinkling eyes. Hange’s glasses reflecting against the sunlight. Levi, mouth bared open in a snarl, blood dripping from his –</p><p>Gunther clears his throat and picks his (or is it Levi’s) book up again. “Shall we start again?”</p><p>Levi stares at the Gryffindor, then nods. “Sure.”</p><p>***</p><p>“Heard Flint was talking shit about your mother,” Levi says to Zeke at the library the next day. He’s hiding from Hange, for no particular reason than he needs a break really. So, he has chosen to spend it with Zeke during the fourth year’s study session which he always holds in the library in the late afternoon after classes are finished.</p><p>Zeke looks up at him from the Transfiguration research book in his hands. “Yeah, what about it? Did he say something else behind my back?” His grip on the book turns knuckle white.</p><p>Levi shrugs, flipping through his herbology book, trying to pen twenty inches of parchment about an assignment on the top ten uses of slugs. “Just thought you might have wanted me to kick his arse off the astrology tower for you, say in a day or two.”</p><p>Zeke chuckles into book, shaking his head slightly. “No, it’s fine. I don’t want you getting charged for murder – or worse, getting expelled from Hogwarts.” Yeah, that would be worse.</p><p>“Although, there is this one hex I’ve recently learned about,” Zeke mutters quietly, looking at Levi from the corner of his eyes slyly. “I’ve been meaning to try it out, but haven’t found the right time or place or, you know,” he gestures, “person, try it on. Anyways, I could teach it to you if you wanted.” He gives a dark smirk, and Levi almost blanches at how well it suits his face. “In case, you need to defend your ‘honor’ or some shit from an idiot.”</p><p>Levi smirks back. “Sure, I’ll take the free lesson.” Zeke holds out a hand and they shake on it, twin evil smiles on their face. The librarian, Pince, walks by with a suspicious glare on her face and tells them to get out if they were planning to cause any disruptions in her library.</p><p>The boys are sent running when she sends her own tickling hex at them.</p><p>***</p><p>“Why are you sniffing me?”</p><p>“You smell like blood.” Sniff, sniff.</p><p>“I had another blood transfusion.” (A story Levi had told him in his first year when Erwin had noticed a splatter of blood on Levi’s sleeve. How Levi had not seen it first, he did not know. But now he religiously checks his clothing for red stains.)</p><p>“Oh.” A pause and a guilty look. “You still doing those?”</p><p>A shrug. “Have to, I need blood.”</p><p>“Ah, got it, sorry if I bothered you.”</p><p>“No problem here, just don’t go sniffing others like a fucking weirdo, Mike. You look like a rabid dog when you do so.”</p><p>“Nanaba doesn’t seem to mind much.”</p><p>“Well, everyone’s got their kinks, I suppose, but that’s something you do in the bed, not in public.”</p><p>“… How do you know what a kink is? Aren’t you like, twelve?”</p><p>“Thirteen, actually. And, well, let’s just say the older kids at my orphanage aren’t that great at keeping their private matters private.”</p><p>“O-oh.”</p><p>***</p><p>“What the fuck,” Hange seethes. Levi grunts along in disappointment, eyeing Eld and Gunther as they bump shoulders in excitement. Good for them, if only their win wasn’t total bullshit.</p><p>“I’m starting to see why Malfoy hates that Potter so much,” Nile mumbles, taking a harsh stab at his steak. Levi flinches at the screech the fork creates against the plate.</p><p>Erwin just sighs and digs into his dinner, patting the back of a frowning first year. The kid was quiet, but as far as Levi knew, he’s always silent. Theodore Nott, his name was. “It’s alright, Theo. You did good. Maybe next year we’ll get the trophy, yeah?”</p><p>The kid only draws up his shoulders and stairs into his plate. Levi pities the kid, having their win ripped out like that must really sting. And it was a total dick move on Dumbledore’s hand. Why wait until Slytherin has been declared the winner, when the literal fucking decorations were all splayed in silver and green, to give off bullshit points until it amounts to just enough for Gryffindor to win the house cup? Levi bites in his chicken, feeling his sharp canines dig in. They had grown in some time after Christmas, after Levi’s thirteenth birthday. Isabel had gasped when she saw them peeking out one morning, and one of the care takers at the orphanage had frowned suspiciously when they too saw them.</p><p>“You’re a real – now, Levi!”</p><p>“Whatever,” glowers Hange, obviously pissed off by the turn of events. “Let them get their win. We’ll just take it back next year.” Levi craftly scoots away from the mad bespectacled Slytherin. An angry Hange was not something he wanted to touch with a ten-foot pole.</p><p>Levi looks up and briefly makes eye contact with Petra, who sends him an apologetic smile next to her cheerfully clapping house mate. ‘You okay?’ she mouths, and Levi nods at her and looks back at his dinner. It tastes bland, which is impossible because Hogwarts’ dinner has never tasted bland.</p><p>“Fuck this, I’m getting a snack from the kitchen.” Thank Oluo and his inability to not <em>not</em> tell a secret. Now Levi knew exactly where to go for a midnight snack, the food kind of course.</p><p>The only acknowledgment given to him is a nod from Erwin, who’s still consoling the Nott kid. Hange is still in their trance and Nile (not that Levi wants any sort of acknowledgment from the asshole) is too busy staring at a girl, Marie, sitting at the Hufflepuff table. Hey, wasn’t that the same girl Erwin was staring out at the beginning of the dinner? Oh, well, just another issue Levi isn’t going to touch. At all.</p><p>Romance and love are definitely overrated. Isabel would agree with him. Farlan would just say he’s probably going to die alone. Levi would tell him they don’t know if he’ll actually ever even die. Or if he’s even technically alive.</p><p>Right now, though, Levi really needs a snack. Not the food kind, though. He walks to the infirmary, key around his neck swinging with his hasty steps.</p><p>***</p><p>“Well, here’s hoping for another year with you all,” Erwin bids them a goodbye as he steps off the train, heading towards his family. Hange had left as well, searching for their drunk uncle. Levi watches as one by one his friends (Merlin, he can’t even believe he’s using that word in reference to people that aren’t Isabel and Farlan) leave to go to their respective homes. The Hogwarts Expresses steams behind him and Zeke, the last two people. Figures, Zeke’s family is late to picking him up.</p><p>“Is it a bad habit or just an honest mistake,” Levi finds him asking after a moment of silence.</p><p>Zeke hums, “what? Their tardiness? Oh, a bit of both, I suppose. Dad gets his head stuck in his work a lot of the time, and Mum is usually busy wrangling Eren and Mikasa, mostly Eren though because Mikasa is an angel most of the time.” He smiles as he always does when speaking of his family. Levi only nods silently, wondering if he should set off. Then he remembers it’s still too early for the next bus to arrive and all he’ll do now if he leaves platform nine and three-fourths is sitting at the bus stop all alone. So, instead, he finds himself waiting with Zeke.</p><p>“What about you? Anyone coming to pick you up?”</p><p>“No,” Levi says. “Orphan, remember?”</p><p>Zeke looks sheepish, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Sorry, I forgot. It’s just you’re always writing letters to someone, so I just assumed, you know…”</p><p>Levi shrugs, kicking a cobble stone with his shoe. “I have these two friends, they’re both muggles, or well one of them is at least, since he’s already turned twelve and still hasn’t gotten his letter. The other, Isabel, she’s waiting for hers. Not sure if she’ll get it, though.” Levi really doesn’t want to crush her dreams of coming to Hogwarts, but both he and Farlan are highly skeptical of Isabel being a witch. There’s no proof of her powers like there was for Levi. Which is honestly a good thing, Levi would rather not drag them into the danger infestation that is Hogwarts, and it would be better if Farlan weren’t completely alone for the betterment of a year.</p><p>“Ah, I know how you’re feeling. I’ve got no doubt that Mikasa will get her letter, but Eren… I’m honestly not sure if it’s possible for him.”</p><p>Levi looks at Zeke, who is staring at his hands, resignation on his face. “Doesn’t he have magic though?”</p><p>Zeke nods somberly. “Yeah, he does. It’s just his condition, you know what I told you way back in September. He can’t really control his powers. It can be… dangerous. For both him and those around him.”</p><p>A pregnant pause passes through them. The platform has quieted down as families begin to leave. No sign of Zeke’s family yet. Levi’s necklace bushes against his pectoral.</p><p>Zeke sighs, palming his face in frustration, and Levi wonders if this is something that’s been bothering him for a while. Probably. Having a little brother, whom you absolutely adore, be sick and a danger to everyone, himself included, has to got to be stressful. Levi isn’t sure he’d be able to handle it if he were in his position with Isabel or Farlan. He reaches out and awkwardly pats Zeke on the shoulder.</p><p>“I’m sure it all will work itself out. You know your brother best; you think he can handle Hogwarts?” Zeke stares at him from between his fingers, the same ocean green Levi had first seen two years ago swirling around black pupils.</p><p>“Yeah,” Zeke says softly, palms falling, eyes looking out, somewhere far away, trapped in a memory perhaps. “Yeah, he can.” A smile. “He’s the most determined person I know. If anyone could overcome his condition, it would be him. No doubt in my mind.”</p><p>Levi nods and pats him again, then quickly drops his arm and takes a half a step to the right, away from Zeke. “There you go then. No need to stress it. Your brother will get his letter this summer, and soon he’ll be another first year pipsqueak running around and causing McGonagall trouble.”</p><p>Zeke heaves a laugh, as if he hasn’t laughed in years. “Yeah, you’re right. Although, not sure I want to think of my little brother as a troublemaker. He’s actually a pretty good kid.”</p><p>Levi thinks back to September first, both ones, and raises a brow. “You sure?”</p><p>The blond gives a smile. “Well, as long as you don’t mess with his friends or him, then yeah, he’s a pretty great kid. The anger issues are just sprinkling on top, really.”</p><p>Levi wrinkles his nose. “Sprinkles are disgusting. They have no taste.”</p><p>Zeke gasps in mock horror. “I love sprinkles! How dare you say such things, and so boldly to my face?”</p><p>Levi rolls his eyes. “It’s true though. My sister even agrees with me.”</p><p>“Well, <em>my </em>sister agrees with me that sprinkles are amazing.”</p><p>“They add no taste to ice cream. What even is the point?”</p><p>“They make it look prettier!”</p><p>“It’s an ice cream, it’s going to melt in two minutes. What’s the point of glamorizing it?”</p><p>“Well –”</p><p>A yell across the platform, “ZEKE!” The two Hogwarts students glance up at a waving boy, running at them.</p><p>Zeke breaks out into a wide smile and raises his arms, walking forward to meet the boy. “Eren!”</p><p>They collide on the platform, and the two brothers almost topple over onto the revolting floor. Mr. and Mrs. Jaeger catch up soon, with their daughter, and the family shares a hug. Levi watches, standing there, wondering whether he should leave or if that would be too rude.</p><p>He doesn’t get the chance to make his getaway, as he’s quickly spotted by Mr. Jaeger, who breaks away from his family to offer him a hand in greeting. “Hello, you must be a friend of Zeke’s. I’m Dr. Jaeger.” Ah, yes, doctor. Levi’s still going to call him Mr.</p><p>Levi takes his offered hand and tries not to feel shameful in the size difference between their hands, nor the difference in their heights. “I’m Levi. Levi Ackerman.”</p><p>A flash passes through the older man’s eyes, some sort of recognition. But it’s gone too quickly for Levi to think too much of it. The man smiles and begins to introduce the rest of his family. There was Zeke’s mother, Carla Jaeger, who smiles and says, “hello” and no, no, Levi definitely isn’t thinking of his own mother. Of her pale face and sunken cheeks. Nope. Then there’s the little Asian girl, Mikasa, who’s hiding the lower half of her face in that red scarf of hers. Levi’s never seen her without it. She nods at him, whispering a quiet, “hello.” Then, there’s Eren, who still clings to Zeke like a Koala animal Levi once heard of from his Australian muggle teachers, way back.</p><p>Eren glances at him, meets his eyes for the barest moment (and there is no tingling, but there is a curl in Levi’s stomach, he’s not sure what it means though), then turns around and smiles brightly at Zeke, affectively ignoring Levi. Okay, that was rude. The boy’s mother hisses his name in disapproval and the boy gives a headed sigh.</p><p>“Hello,” he mutters, staring at Levi with a bored face. <em>This little shit</em>, Levi thinks. So, this is how others feel when Levi meets them for the first time. Huh, being ignored feels kind of annoying, especially coming from such a small brat. Zeke ruffles the boy’s hair and Levi wants to smack him. The older boy is obviously too fond with the boy to care for his dismissal of his own friend.</p><p>Mr. Jaeger only sighs, and Mikasa gives a small punch to the boy’s shoulder. “Sorry about Eren, he’s a little aloof when it comes to strangers.”</p><p>Mrs. Jaegers nods in resignation. “Yes, we’re really sorry. I have no idea what’s <em>wrong </em>with him.” She glares at the boy, who glares up with back with the <em>exact </em>same facial expressions, and yeah, their faces are almost scarily similar. It was like God had taken the mother’s face and rearranged it two centimeters to the left to create a new one for he boy.</p><p>Levi can only nod at the parents, stating it was no problem. He didn’t know why but standing under their gazes made him feel oddly out of place. Like his skin was crawling, and his fingers were tingling. His canines itched and he had to bite on his tongue to prevent them from sharpening. He actually bites into his own tongue and blood fills his senses. Now, correct him if he’s wrong, but he could have sworn Mikasa’s eyes flashed yellow for just a second there. Well, okay, then.</p><p>“I – I have to go,” he says, eyeing the girl and the intense look on her face. The adults and Zeke all look at him worriedly, Eren only continues to watch with that bored expression. “The bus will be arriving any minute now.”</p><p>Mrs. Jaeger frowns. “Are your parents not picking you up?” Levi freezes for a moment, gaze on the floor.</p><p>“Mum,” Zeke chides, sounding upset. Levi only shakes his head.</p><p>“No, sorry. I have to take the bus.” And he hurries away, not looking back even when he hears their protests. He heaves his way through the barrier and quickly out of King’s Cross. The bus is there, and isn’t that a mercy on God’s end, and Levi flashes a ticket (Dumbledore had given it to him before he had left Hogwarts), and steps on to find a seat. He sits by the window and feels the iron taste in his mouth finally reside. He sighs tiredly and lays his head against the chair, closing his eyes.</p><p>Well, he finally met the Jaegers. And now, with the addition of the two little Jaegers next year, and Harry Potter himself, Levi just knows he can kiss any chance of a normal year at Hogwarts goodbye.</p><p>
  <em>I’m so fucked. </em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Awww, honestly I wasn't expecting to write Eren as so dismissive of Levi but as I was right about to i just thought of Eren and his attitude to people he didn't real give two shits about pre-fall of wall Maria and I was like, "What if Eren acted that way with Levi?" And BOOM it was perfect. In usual fics, at least the ones I've read, idk about ya'll, Eren is always the one who's first smitten and intrigued by Levi. And while I appreciate those, I also really want to write an Eren that doesn't give Levi the time of day until he proves himself lol. I feel like that dynamic will be fun to explore. And JAEGERBROS TIME!!! God I'm such a sucker for Zeke and Eren and Mikasa as siblings (ik what happens in the current chapters of the manga, ok, this is just me coping) so Im going to write the FUCK out of them.</p><p>Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this! Next chapter is the official arrivale of Eren at Hogwarts!</p>
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